Name: The Punch Line
Brand: Minutemen

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

sst004lp

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Colour

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2006-07-25

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Tax rate GB

UPC / Barcode

Total Cap

1 / Extended format: No / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

Artist

Minutemen

Genre GB

Alternative / Modern

Label GB

the minutemen may have come out of the same california hardcore scene that produced black flag, circle jerks, and fear, but they not only bore little resemblance to their west coast contemporaries, they didn't sound much like anyone else in american rock at that time. 1981's 'the punch line' was the band's first album, packing 18 tunes into less than 25 minutes, and if the music shares hardcore's lust for speed and assaultive rhythmic punch, their sharp, fragmented melodies, complex tempos, and overtly poetic and political lyrics made clear they were rugged individuals; imagine james blood ulmer teaching wire how to get funky and you start to get an idea of what 'the punch line' sounds like. it wasn't until the band began to slow down a bit on 'what makes a man start fires?' that the strength of the group's individual songs became clear, and 'the punch line' works better as a unified sonic assault than as a collection of tunes, but moments do stand out, especially 'tension,' 'fanatics,' and the title cut, which certainly lends a new perspective to native american history. 'the punch line' was as wildly inventive as anything spawned by american punk, and the band would only get better on subsequent releases.

The Punch Line

Music GB